(Apr 26) Here Is A Pic Of My buddy Kindell Keeton - Kindell is my bud from Ohio and he hung out with me at the NTWF Convention in March. He is a lot better caller than I am and here's proof, the 24 pound longbeard Eastern that he called in for his dad Greg. This pic says it all, as far as kids and us adults going hunting together.

Scouting: After Doug Crabtree and his dad completed their hunts I set up a Double Bull blind at the turn in the river where a mile long field converges onto our wooded property. Wild turkeys regularly roost in the tall pecan trees that grow along the river. 

(Apr 23) Is That Big Sucker Coming Over Here?
This is the first day I've actually hunted wild turkeys.  I set up a hen and jake decoy 12 yards from my blind. I got into the blind to see where I needed to make some shooting lanes and then spent several minutes trimming cedar limbs out of the way. Then I eased out to the edge and looked down the fence to survey the field. No turkeys in sight, but a bunch of cows were coming in my direction. It was still early afternoon so they would be gone by the time the turkeys came in. No problem.

By the time I was set up inside the blind the cows were passing by on the opposite side of the fence. Just for grins I took their picture.  I heard a cow raising cane, bellowing loud and clear. Suddenly, the bellowing and a cow came together, outside of the window of my blind, it was a big white faced Hereford. Again, no problem. They are a common enough site around here.

The Hereford was very excited and as I took his picture I realized that that he was sounding off at me. 

He started throwing dirt with his front feet.

That's not a good sign. 

But I've dealt with these guys before and I unzipped the door to the blind and stepped out so he could see me clearly. That usually calms them down. 

It didn't.

Instead, he hooked the lower wires of the fence with his horns and started yanking and shoving. 

I put my camera down, right now! The immediate area has lots of big rocks and boulders and I grabbed up the biggest one I figured I could throw 10 yards. I must have been pretty pumped up because that big rock flew like a rocket, right on target. Smack! 

The bull ran 25 yards and slammed on the brakes. The other cows all started leaving. He walked back half the distance and stopped, a long guttural sound, more a growl than a bellow, came out of him. 

This had happened kinda quick and I had been in the "act" not "think" mode. I was thinking now, Rick Philippi has a treestand near here and I looked around me until I found it, just in case.

Then I picked up a section of a dead limb and threw it at the bull. He didn't even flinch. I snapped up another limb and waved it and loudly and gave him a little verbal abuse. He took a step backward.

Good. 

I charged him. 

He turned tail and ran to the other cows. They all walked off and I picked my camera up off the ground and took their picture as they walked away.

Later on I heard two gobbles about a million yards away and before dark one turkey flew up on the opposite side of the river. 

Wednesday Rick Philippi and Doug Whitabury will be down to bowhunt wild turkeys.